Can-opener



(No Model.)

G. H. TANSLEY.

CAN OPENER.

No. 341,963 Patented May 18, 1886'.

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GEORGE H. TANSLEY, OF SPRINGFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAN-=OPENER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,963, dated May 18,1886.

Application tiled March 29, [886. Serial No. 196,876. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. TANSLEY, a citizen of the United States,residing atSpringfield, in the county of Hampden and State of 5Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in OanOpeners,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in can-openers, and is in thenature of an im- 1 provement on PatentNo. 172,653, of 1876, the

object being to simplify the construction shown in the latter, and toprovide a cuttercarrier which is adapted'to have a free motion on andlengthwise of the implement, and is 1 provided with means for causing itto follow the circle of the end of the can, whether the attaching-pointof the implement is fixed at a the center of the latter or not.

111 the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is aperspective View of a can-opener constructed according to my invention.Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the end of a can and of a portionof the canopener shown attached to the can as in the act 2 of operatingit.

In the drawings, 2 is the handle and carrier-bar of the implement. 3 isa pivot-hook attached to one end of the bar 2, and 4 is theknife-carrier having pivoted in a slot therein 0 the rotating cutter 5,and having projecting at one side of the latter in a direction beyondthe edge of the cutter the guide-point 6. Said bar is provided with theusual handle, 7.

8 indicates a portion of the end of a can of 5 the ordinary tinconstruction, and 9 a slot therein as it appears when out by thewithindescribed implement.

The within described can-opener is of the usual metallic construction,and the cuttercarrier 4 is adapted to slide freely on the bar point 6 onsaid carrier being adapted to project downward from the latter at theside of the can and below the border thereof, whereby the cutter-carrieris compelled to follow the border of the can when the bar 2 is rotatedover the end of the latter, as hereinafter described. The rotary cutter5, as aforesaid,

is pivoted in a slot in the carrier 4., as shown; but in order to causesaid cutter to cut a groove in the end of the can which is wider thanthe cutter, and to cause the side of the latter to roll against the sideof the groove and leave the latter in a' smooth condition, the cutter 5is pivoted to rotate in a plane inclined to a line drawn at right anglesacross the bar 2, as clearly shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

In practice the implement is operated to move the cutterearrier in thedirection indicated by the arrowin Fig. 2; and it will be clearly seenthat with the cutter rotating at an incline, as aforesaid, to the bar 2,the carrier 4 would, were it not for the guidepoint 6, which bearsagainst the outer border oft-he can, be drawn toward the pivoted end ofthe bar; but said guide-point compels the cutter to be held always at agiven distance from the border of the can, whether the pivot-hook 3 inthe end of the bar is at the center of the end of the can or not, and,if not, the cutter-carrier, while it is being rotated to carry thecutter, adjusts itself longitudinally upon the bar, while the latter ismoved around in a circle, and thus the guide-point 6 on the carrierpermits the cutter 5 to be rotated at an angle to the bar 2, asaforesaid, and obviates the necessity of any means for securing thecutter-carrier in a fixed position on said bar when the implement isoperated.

In operating the implement to open a can the pivothook 3 is forcedthrough the head of the latter at or near the center thereof, it beingimmaterial which, and the guide-point 6 of the cutter-carrier is movedagainst the border of the can at any point and the edge of the cutter isforced through the head of the latter, and then the handle end 7 of theopener is swung around, thereby cutting the head clear from the can andmaking agroove, 9, as shown in Fig. 2.

What I claim as myinvention is- A can-openerconsisting of the bar 2,provided with the pivot-hook 3, the cutter-carrier 4, having a freesliding movement on said bar and having the guide-point 6 thereon, andthe rotary cutter 5, pivoted in said carrier to rotate in a plane at anincline to a line drawn at right angles across said bar 2, combined andoperating substantially as set forth.

GEO. H. TA'NSLEY.

WVitnesses:

H. A. GHAPIN, G. M. CHAMBERLAIN.

